Chapter 4

Assembly Hall

Meryton

15 th October, 1811

The local musicians played a merry reel from their corner near the fireplace. The simple chandelier, lit with numerous candles, brightened the dance floor. Many candelabras had been set up on the food tables, with mirrors and water-jars behind them to reflect their light. Simple cloths covered the equally simple table, punch and lemonade and tea and coffee available on the one, sandwiches and bites of ham and cheese and small vegetables arrayed across the other. The older matrons and gentlemen gossiped together in the chairs around the dance floor, proudly watching their children and grandchildren as they danced.

The music came to an end, and Elizabeth smiled at Samuel Lucas, the eldest of the Lucas sons. Samuel smiled back with the ease of long friendship and held out his arm, which Elizabeth took as they left the dance floor.

"Lizzy!" Mrs. Bennet exclaimed, spying her daughter and gesturing toward herself. Elizabeth obediently released Samuel's arm and made her way over to where her mother, Jane, and Mary were standing some fifteen feet from the main door into the hall.

"Is that Mr. Bingley?" Elizabeth asked, gazing with interest at the dark blond man who had just entered the room with a party of strangers at this back.

"Based on Lady Lucas's description, I believe it is," Mrs. Bennet replied and chuckled. "It seems that Mr. Bingley brought two gentlemen and two ladies with him, instead of more than a dozen extra attendees."

Sir William Lucas, Samuel's father, acted as the master of ceremonies at Meryton's assemblies, and he immediately descended on the newcomers. Elizabeth watched as Sir William bowed to the gentlemen and ladies, and Mr. Bingley and his fellow gentlemen bowed in return, while the ladies curtsied.

"They are very finely dressed," Mary mused, and Elizabeth could only nod.

The gentlemen's coats were appropriately dark and nicely brushed over white and tan breeches, but they paled entirely beside their companions. The ladies looked, Elizabeth thought, like the illustrations of exotic birds from far tropical lands. They were both completely self-possessed and were quite handsome, and they glimmered with silk and shone with jewels and were crested with great colorful feathers dyed in bright hues that bobbed over their elaborate hats. Large brooches caught the light and reflected jewel-toned fire, dripping earrings and bracelets sparkling like stars. They were, in the midst of the plainer Meryton assembly, as peacocks among wrens, but Elizabeth, fair-minded, observed that despite the opulence, both women displayed good taste in their pick of cuts and colors.

Sir William bustled up to the Bennet family, his face wreathed with smiles, and the Netherfield party moved forward and then halted behind him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to one of our most esteemed families," Sir William said cheerfully. "May I please introduce Mrs. Bennet, Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, and Miss Mary? Ladies, Mrs. Hurst, Miss Bingley, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley, and Mr. Hurst."

Elizabeth curtsied along with her sisters and mother and straightened to consider the party at closer quarters. The ladies, as she already had determined, were exceptionally well dressed, and thus it was the gentlemen who drew her attention now. Mr. Bingley was of medium height, with a handsome face and clear blue eyes. His lips formed a cheerful smile, and his eyes had quickly found, and fixed on, Jane's beautiful countenance.

"Miss Bennet, might I have the honor of this next dance?" he requested.

Jane nodded and blushed, and took his hand, and the couple made their way onto the dance floor.

Elizabeth turned her attention on Mr. Darcy, a tall gentleman of some thirty years or so, with handsome features and dark brown eyes. He was smiling slightly, but his eyes did not match his mouth. He looked, she thought, as if he was carefully analyzing the family.

"Mr. Darcy?" Miss Bingley said in a provoking tone and took his arm possessively.

"Of course, Miss Bingley," the gentleman replied, and bobbed his head to the Bennets. "It was pleasant to meet you."

Elizabeth joined her mother and sister in murmuring their own delight at being introduced, and she watched with interest as Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley made their way onto the dance floor.

"Do you suppose they are engaged?" Mary asked softly.

"Perhaps," Elizabeth conceded. "Miss Bingley certainly seems attached to him."

At this moment, the second Lucas son, Peter, approached and asked for Elizabeth to dance with him. She agreed and accompanied him to the dance floor as the musicians began to play.

She had no expectation that the unmarried gentlemen from Netherfield would marry someone here in Meryton, but it was interesting to meet new people and to study their characters. For that, she was grateful for the new tenants of Netherfield Hall.

/

Drawing Room

Netherfield Park

Mrs. Annesley was a comfortable presence at Anne's elbow as they sat side by side on the couch near the fire. The couch itself was upholstered in sage green crushed velvet, which complemented the dark-stained oak wood of the frame. Anne found herself contrasting it favorably with her mother's favorite couches in the drawing rooms of Rosings, which were all designed more to impress with their extravagant looks than for comfort.

Across the room, Georgiana was playing Beethoven at a simple, white-painted pianoforte, its ivory keys rather yellowed by time. It, too, reminded Anne of the instruments at Rosings. Though neither Lady Catherine nor Anne played, Lady Catherine kept various instruments tuned and ready at all times, so that any visitors could be duly critiqued on their playing.

It felt very strange not to be in the stiff, ostentatious house where she grew up. In some ways, Rosings was still her beloved home, no matter the uncomfortable furniture and gilded pianofortes and knickknacks that cost more than the rent of a single tenant family. She had, more than once since leaving, missed her own bed, deep in the heart of her room – her sanctum from her dictatorial mother.

In other ways, well, the truth was that she did not miss her mother, Lady Catherine, at all. It had been a strange and wonderful to be listened to. Her aunt the countess had consulted Anne on her matters of taste when ordering her new gowns, and Lord Matlock himself had been attentive to her preferences at dinner. Her desires had not been gainsaid even once, and she had nearly been brought to tears when Lady Matlock earnestly assured her that if there was anything she wanted, all she had to do was speak.

Anne had feared offending her aunt and uncle, who had been nothing but kind to her, by departing for the country, but neither had been insulted at all. The countess had patted her hand and said kindly, "It is easy enough to see that the Town air does not agree with you, my dear. You are still far too pale and peaky; we wish to see you gain your health. Go with Darcy and write to us as often as you like."

Anne had begun to understand her confident, collected cousin better now, as well as envy him. Perhaps, if she had grown up with people who took her as seriously as everyone deemed Darcy, she too would be decisive and assured. But it was in Georgiana that she found a kindred spirit, despite the difference in their ages. Her sweet, young cousin was as shy as Anne herself, yet the two had reached out to each other to form a tentative, budding friendship.

Anne was, rather to her surprise, happy. She was once again in the bosom of the country, with its fresh earth smell and clean breezes and cool night air nip and the sounds of birds and insects at all hours. She had managed a very pleasant nap that afternoon, after politely but firmly declining Mr. Bingley's invitation to join the rest of the party at the assembly in Meryton that evening. Though she had learned the most prevalent of dance steps in her youth, she shrank from the thought of attending an assembly, attempting to remember the steps while also trying to carry on conversations with so many new acquaintances! No, far better to stay quietly at home on a pleasant, cool evening.

She was enjoying the company of her cousin and their companion, the pianoforte the loudest sound in the house, as the servants went unobtrusively about their tasks. It was far superior to attending a ball, Anne thought, as Georgiana reached the end of her piece.

"That was charming, Miss Darcy," Mrs. Annesley declared, smiling at her charge.

"Thank you," Georgiana said, but her narrowed eyes were fixed on the pianoforte. "It is not altogether in tune."

"No, it is not," Mrs. Annesley agreed. "Middle C is off, among other notes. It may be well to mention the matter so that Mr. Bingley can have it adjusted."

"Quite," Georgiana said.

/

Assembly Hall

Meryton

"Might I have the honor of this dance, Miss Mary?" Samuel Lucas asked.

Mary looked startled. She was rarely asked to dance because her elder sisters were more beautiful than she was, and there was a shortage of male partners at assemblies.

"Go ahead, my dear," Mrs. Bennet urged, and Mary rose to her feet and, smiling shyly, took her neighbor's arm, whereupon Samuel led her onto the dance floor.

"Mamma, shall I fetch you some lemonade?" Elizabeth inquired, appearing so suddenly that Mrs. Bennet jumped a little.

"I am well enough, my dear. Thank you," she replied. "Are you sitting out this next dance?"

"I am."

"Then please do sit down next to me and rest a trifle; it is rather hot in here."

"It is," her second daughter agreed, and she obediently sank down on the chair Mary had just left.

They sat in silence, and thus they were privileged to overhear a conversation between Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy which baffled them both. Darcy, who had danced with both Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, was now standing against a wall next to a large potted plant.

"Darcy!" the younger man exclaimed. "I wondered where you had hidden yourself."

"I danced two dances," Darcy replied, "and it is rather warm in here. I thought I would rest a little, but I am, of course, at your service. Do you wish me to ask Miss Bennet for a dance?"

"Oh, certainly," Bingley replied, "but not just her. I have never met with so many pleasant girls in my life as I have this evening, and there are several of them, you see, uncommonly pretty."

"Miss Bennet is by far the most handsome lady in the room."

"Yes! And she is an angel! But her younger sister, Miss Elizabeth, is sitting just behind you, who is very pretty, and I daresay very agreeable."

Darcy stared directly at Elizabeth, smiled slightly, and turned back to his friend. "She is beautiful, but is she handsome enough to tempt you?"

Bingley lowered his voice a trifle, but Elizabeth had sharp ears and thus heard him say, "I do prefer blonde ladies, but yes, she is a lovely woman. I could imagine…"

"Very well," Darcy replied, and with a smile pinned on his lips, he marched over to the sitting Bennet ladies and bowed. "Miss Elizabeth, might I have the honor of the next dance?"

Elizabeth could not help but wonder at the bizarre conversation between the two gentlemen from Netherfield, but both men had complimented her appearance, and she loved to dance. Certainly there was no reason to reject the man!

"I would be honored, Mr. Darcy."

The ensuing dance was surprisingly enjoyable for both parties. Both gentleman and lady were light on their feet, and while Mr. Darcy did not speak a great deal, he responded civilly and sensibly to Elizabeth's remarks.

Later in the evening, Elizabeth also danced with Mr. Bingley. That gentleman proved as good a dancer as his friend Darcy, and his conversation was pleasant, though not at all intellectual.

It was, in fact, a charming and enjoyable time for all.